The Reunion
by Ben-Lyons
Summary: After leaving school, Harry, Ron and Hermione went their separate ways. Now, there's a reunion for their year-group. Can the trio become great friends again?
1. The Letter Arrives

_Here goes nothing! This is my very first fan fic, so please review it so that when writing future fan fics, or future chapters for this fan fic, I can improve and become a better writer!_

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**Harry  
**  
"See ya, Harry! Remember, bright and early tomorrow morning! The more training we get, the better we'll be!"  
  
"Yea, okay", Harry replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. He didn't see how they could get any better though, they'd won the league the past six years running. Harry played for the Tornados, the best Quidditch team in England. He had signed for them eight years ago, just after his 20th birthday. He'd left the Chudley Cannons for them, in a move that was too good to refuse but resulted in his best friend Ron Weasley, a die-hard Cannons fan, getting mad at him. He'd had tryouts for Keeper there, and as he didn't get signed on his only link to the club he'd supported all his life was Harry, the seeker. Harry often wondered what his life would be like if he hadn't signed for the Tornados… he'd still be close to Ron, that's for sure. And his life would probably be a lot less hectic. But would he still be an England international? It was this that had lured him away from the Cannons. When the Tornados expressed an interest in him, his agent said to him "You'd be mad to turn this down Harry! This is the best side in England that wants you! Just think, you'll play for England playing for the Tornados! Do you think an opportunity like that will come about whilst you're playing for a second-rate team like the Cannons?" Within 24 hours of this conversation, Harry was under contract to the Tornados. Ron never had been a good liar... upon hearing the news, he did his best to be supportive, but Harry could see how upset and disappointed he was. Their level of friendship had declined since then… Ron's letters were always short, and though Ron said this was because he was too busy as an Auror to write more, Harry thought it was more likely that Ron was still mad at him because he'd signed for the Tornados. The letters got shorter and shorter, then arrived less and less, then stopped altogether. Harry thought of visiting him, but if Ron didn't want to write to him, what would make him want to be visited by Harry? And so, Harry just stayed put, and let Ron be.  
  
As Harry arrived home, he found a stack of letters on the table where the owls had left them. He trained so much these days, he was normally up and out of the house before the owls delivered. Before even reading them, he knew what most of them were… letters from fans, telling him how great he was, and/or requesting his autograph. Being the polite person he was, he always responded, and send them an autograph if they wanted one, but he did it half-heartedly. When he'd first started playing, he treasured these letters, but he got so many these days they had lost all meaning. He looked through the letters, checking for Hermione or Ron's handwriting, or anything that didn't look like fan mail. He doubted there would be - there never was. But there, to his surprise, was a letter that definitely wasn't fan mail. It was a letter in a thick, heavy envelope. The address was written in emerald-green ink, and it was sealed with a purple wax steel bearing a large letter 'H' surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake. It was a letter from Hogwarts.  
  
Harry ripped open the letter excitedly, wondering why Hogwarts would send him a letter. He hadn't spoken to Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGongall or anyone else from Hogwarts since he'd left the school. The last letter he'd been sent was the one telling him what grades he got in his NEWTs. After Harry had torn open the envelope, he unfolded the enclosed letter and read it:  
  
_Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
I am writing to inform you that on the 6th of August, you and your fellow classmates are all invited to a year-group reunion. The event will take place between the hours of 7 and 9pm, and it will be a dance. You may bring a dance partner if you wish. I will be there, as will your head of house and other teachers who were able to attend. It is important that I am informed as to whether or not you are coming, so please respond as soon as possible.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
_  
This was almost too good to be true. Harry would get to see Ron again, and even better, Hermione. Ron was a great friend, and seeing him would be great, but it was different with Hermione. He loved her, and not as a friend. They say you never get over your first love, and this was true for Harry. At the end of every relationship he had, at the end of every bad date, Hermione came to mind. But as much as he loved her, he had never wrote to her since she moved to France. His love made him too shy to do so. But now, he'd get to see her. He immediately got some parchment and a quill and wrote to Dumbledore telling him that he would be attending the reunion.

* * *

**Ron**  
  
"Ron, are you okay? Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you so hard with that spell!"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine", he replied. It was embarrassing enough to be knocked out by a trainee Auror, so he wasn't going to admit how badly he'd hit his head. After recent mistakes, Ron's job as an Auror currently involved working with the trainees and helping train them. This reminded him of his D.A. meetings in his fifth year at Hogwarts, and his training scheme involved a lot of the things done in the D.A. Today, he was going through the basic spells that could be used in small-scale incidents, and they had just been practising 'Expelliarmus'. As there were 11 trainees, Claire Bondel was working with him. No one else would work with her, as she was unbelievably clumsy. She had been over enthusiastic this time, and as a result knocked Ron on the floor. He hit his head hard, and was knocked unconscious. He looked at his was. 8:15pm! The session should've ended 15 minutes ago, but because of Claire they'd all had to wait and see if Ron was okay. He got to his feet and said to them "Well, we've run overtime. Thank you for waiting for me, but you can all go now. See you tomorrow." As the other ten trainees left, Claire stayed and apologised again.  
  
"It's okay Claire, you didn't mean to. Just go, and try to be a little less enthusiastic with your future spellwork." Though he wasn't happy about being knocked out, he wasn't going to yell at a 19-year-old girl.  
  
"But I'm always messing up. I'll never be an Auror, I probably couldn't be a shop assistant without screwing up!" she replied, on the verge of tears.  
  
"You've just got to concentrate a bit more. Try doing some extra practice on your own. Believe me, I've seen trainees worse than you come through and be great Aurors," Ron lied, in his attempt to cheer her up. Eventually, after over half an hour, she took his word and left. Ron apparated home, and then began to prepare himself a meal. After he had eaten, he began to wonder whether or not he was wasting his time as an Auror. At first, things had been great, but after failing to capture murderer Dean Levi, his reputation had fallen. That was how he'd ended up working with trainee Aurors. He remembered when he'd tried out for his beloved Chudley Cannons. If only he'd been signed, then his life might not suck. Maybe Harry would've stayed if they both played for the Cannons, rather than joining the Tornados. Ron despised the Tornados, because they won everything. But he didn't hate Harry for joining them; he just missed his friend. Ron was always thinking of writing to Harry, but surely he'd be too busy for friends as an international Quidditch player. Ron looked at is watch again. Wow, time had flown. It was now almost 1am. Ron headed upstairs to bed, but he was so tired before he could get changed he just slumped on the bed.  
  
Seven hours later, the post owl woke Ron up. This was weird, as Ron very rarely received post. As Ron detached the letter from the owl's leg, he couldn't believe it. He knew who it was from - Hogwarts. But why, he didn't know. He opened it, and read through it. There was to be a year-group reunion in August. Ron didn't feel like going, but then he realised that Harry might be there! This would be great, as it could save their friendship! Hermione would be there too. They might have argued a lot, but they were still friends. He couldn't decline an opportunity to see his two best friends again, so he immediately got out his quill, grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote, "I will be attending the Reunion on the 6th of August." He then attached this note to the owl's leg, and sent it off again. As he got ready to go to work, he was suddenly a lot happier. He just hoped he, Harry and Hermione could find that closeness they had at Hogwarts.

* * *

**Hermione**  
  
"Au revoir classe!" Hermione said as 4:00 came, signalling the end of her final class that day. As the class left, Hermione began to look through their essays. She was good at French, but even from a quick glance she could see some words she'd never seen before in her life. So, as she wanted to get them marked quickly, she got out her wand, pointed to the essays and said "Translato". That was better - all of the essays were now bewitched to me translated to English when she looked at them. This was one of two spells she used to help her cope at Beauxbatons... the other was the Sonaforeignius Charm, which enabled her to hear what the students said in English, and have her response translated into French for them. Without these two spells, Hermione would probably have had a nervous breakdown through the stress of teaching in France. Secretly, Hermione often hoped that a position would become available at Hogwarts, so she had a reason to return to England, but she had heard nothing of such a position yet.  
  
After about two hours, Hermione had finished marking all of the essays. On the whole, the essays where quite good. Many of them would have achieved Outstanding in an English OWL. Although at Beauxbatons, they marked on an A-F scale instead. She put the essays neatly in a pile, then headed to her room. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow (as it would be Saturday), she changed into her pyjamas and got into bed.  
  
As she woke up the next morning, Hermione saw on owl coming through her window. She had two letters. The first one was from Beauxbatons Headteacher, Madame Gaul, asking if she would chaperone the upcoming dance. The second one, to her great surprise, was from Hogwarts. Intrigued, she opened it and read it. Apparently, there was going to be a reunion in August for her year-group. Hermione smiled, thinking how nice it would be to see some of her old friends again. Mainly, she was looking for to seeing Ron and Harry - Harry more so than Ron. She remembered how much she liked Harry, and wondered if those feelings were still there. Would they be close friends, or something more? She got a quill and some parchment, and wrote back to Hogwarts to say she would attend the reunion. She got her owl, Crystal, and sent her off with the letter.


	2. One Week To Go

_For those who read the first chapter, sorry about the wait. I've been busy.  
  
The chapter name is pretty much self-explanatory... but anyway, there's a week to go until the reunion, and Harry, Ron and Hermione are all getting ready for it. They all have things on their mind regarding the reunion.  
  
These chapters are a little short I know. That's because there's little action, it's mainly about what's going through the character's mind with the reunion being a week away,  
  
Thanks to Greyhound Master, Tithe and yumienuf2eat for your reviews, they were very much appreciated. Others will be as well, so please review._

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**Harry**   
  
With the all-important reunion just a week away, Harry could think of nothing else. His Quidditch training was poor, and the Tornados had even lost their last match for the first time in almost two years because Harry was so distracted. The snitch had actually gone right past him just before the Chudley Cannons' seeker Paul Dawson caught it. This had made his coach furious, and he'd even threaten to drop him for the next game. But Harry didn't care that much; it was the reunion he cared about. He was constantly going into clothes shops, both in the muggle and wizard world, even though he already had a tuxedo. He wanted to look his best. He'd also had his hair styled (though it had little effect), and his shoes polished to perfection. And though he tried to convince himself otherwise, he was doing all this for one reason and one reason only - Hermione. He needed to see her there, and win her back. After all, it was his fault she'd gone to France in the first place:  
  
_The Night Hermione Left_  
  
"I just don't know if I should take it Harry... what do you think?" Hermione asked. She really didn't know whether to go to France or stay in England with Harry. After all, though they were close friends they'd only been going out for a few weeks, and it had all been in secret.  
  
"I think you should do whatever would make you happiest. I can't make the choice for you Hermione," he replied. Really, he wanted her to stay, but he couldn't tell her this. After all, that would be holding her career back. And then if he lied and said he wanted her to go, that would be pushing her away.  
  
"Of course you can help me, don't you care?!" Hermione responded. She was starting to get upset now... if Harry didn't care, which he didn't seem to, she might as well go.  
  
Just as Harry was about to say 'Of course I care', and tell Hermione what he really thought, his Tornados quidditch coach Colin Ferguson's head appeared in his fire.  
  
"Harry, team meeting! Can't you tell the time? You should have been here 15 minutes ago! If you aren't here in the next two minutes, you'll be dropped from the team and reserve seeker Lee Thompson will take your place!"  
  
"But this is import..." before Harry could reply, Ferguson's head was gone. He looked to Hermione. He knew that he should finish talking to her, but tomorrow was to be his first Tornados game. He couldn't be dropped for it, as Lee Thompson was pretty good and could end up taking his place. Then he would've left the Cannons and fallen out with Ron over nothing.  
  
"I shouldn't be more than an hour," he said to Hermione. Please wait here, we need to talk about this. He apparated to his meeting, leaving Hermione furious...  
  
...The next time Harry heard from Hermione, she was writing him a letter from France. Harry thought about this incident all the time, and whenever he did it made him depressed. For this reason, he needed to see her. Whether or not he could convince her to move back to England he didn't know, but he just wanted at the very least for them to be friends again. There was another friend he wanted see as well - Ron. After all, they had been best friends, and he didn't see why they couldn't be again. It was eight and a half years ago that Harry had joined the Tornados, so Ron couldn't still be mad at him, could he? With any luck, maybe they could put all that behind them.

* * *

**Ron**   
  
The Hogwarts reunion was a week away, and Ron was really looking forward to it. Having seen an advertisement in the Daily Prophet last month, he was staying at the newly built hotel there. He wasn't the only person from Hogwarts doing this - he'd also seen his Hogwarts roommate Dean Thomas there, along with Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, and Susan Bones. So, since he'd arrived at the hotel last week, he'd spent most of his time with Dean, Justin and Ernie. One thing he had asked all three of them was what they were wearing, so he didn't look out of place. Ernie said he was going to wear dress robes, but muggle-born Dean and Justin said they were wearing some posh type of suit called a tuxedo. He guessed some other muggle-borns might wear these as well, but he thought he'd stick to dress robes. This time, he had enough money to buy some decent dress robes - he could remember in his fourth year at Hogwarts at the Yule Ball when he'd last had to wear dress robes, and his mum had bought him some ghastly second hand frilly ones.  
  
Whilst staying at the hotel, he found himself become good friends with Ernie. He also worked for the Ministry of Magic, as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. Obviously Ernie was too secretive for them to talk about work, so they spent a lot of time talking about Quidditch. It turned out Ernie was also a Cannons fan, much to Ron's delight. They began to discuss the shock win over the Tornados, and how this year thanks to some decent signings the Cannons could become title contenders again, and maybe even win their first Quidditch Championship in 56 years. They also talked about the upcoming World Cup next year in France, and England's chances. This led them to talking about Harry, as he was the England national seeker.  
  
"So are you still friends with Harry?" Ernie asked Ron.  
  
"No, not really," he replied. "We haven't spoke since he joined the Tornados."  
  
"Really?" Ernie responded, shocked. "Are you that angry at him? Okay, I was upset and maybe a little annoyed when he left the Cannons, but you guys were best friends! Surely you can but it behind each other, it was over eight years ago!"  
  
"Mmm..." was Ron's reply. That was what he had been thinking, and was really about the only reason he was going to the reunion. But now, with so little time left until the reunion, Ron was getting worried. What if Harry didn't wanna be friends again? What if he was mad at him? Plus, being so rich and famous, would Harry even have time for friends? Ron didn't know what to think.

* * *

**Hermione   
**  
As the Hogwarts Reunion was one week away, Hermione was back in England. She had decided to spend time with her parents rather than spend the whole week in Hogsmeade. There was a hotel there, and she'd booked a room there for two nights - the night before the reunion and the night of it. She guessed a lot of people would be staying there, and there was one person she was particularly hoping would be there - Harry. But then again, being the big Quidditch player he was, he probably wouldn't be. What if he wasn't coming to the reunion at all? She really should have written to him to check. After all, if he wasn't, she'd be wasting her time going, and she'd have wasted her money buying loads of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and an expensive but beautiful violet dress so that she looked as nice as possible. But she hadn't spoken to him in around eight and a half years, not since she sent him a letter from France explaining that she'd moved, and saying no to get in touch as she didn't want to speak to someone who cared more for his quidditch career than his girlfriend. Come to think of it, she wished she hadn't said that now. It sounded really bitchy, and no doubt it would have upset him. But then again, he upset her. Apparating before her very eyes to go to some stupid quidditch meeting... not only did it infuriate her, it broke her heart. Okay, they'd been only going out for a few weeks, and they were together in secrecy, but she loved him. She hadn't told him that though. He might think it was weird, due to the short time they'd been together. But didn't he realise they'd known each other for over eight years at the time? She thought he'd been really nice to her as a friend, and before long she began to get a crush on him. And as time went on, she began to fall in love. They say you never get over your first love, and this was true for her. She still loved Harry deeply, and the only reason she was going to the reunion was because she hoped they could get back together. But she was terrified of what Harry might say to her if they met at the reunion. Would he be horrible to her? Or was her in love with her too? If he was, would their love prevail?


	3. Getting Ready

_This chapter goes through the hour before the reunion. Harry, Ron and Hermione are getting ready for it, both physically and mentally.  
  
Again its quite a short chapter, because its mainly about the characters' thoughts.  
  
Thanks to Greyhound Master, yumienuf2eat and SoccerChick22291 for your reviews on chapter two.  
  
Please Review after reading!_

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****

**Harry**  
  
After having a shower, Harry looked at his watch - 6 pm. He had exactly one hour until he had to be there. Due to his international Quidditch status, he had decided not to stay in the Hogsmeade Hotel in case too many people pestered him. He was going to apparate into Hogsmeade, walk to Hogwarts, then after the reunion go into Hogsmeade again and apparate back home.  
  
He had his tuxedo hung up on his wardrobe. He had ironed it and made sure it was immaculately clean. He dried himself then got changed into it. He looked at his watch again - 6:07 pm. Harry still had 53 minutes until he had to be at the reunion. He didn't know what to do to pass the time - he was so nervous time was going incredibly slow. His hair was still wet, so he decided to go back into the bathroom and comb it. Whilst there, he noticed his cologne. He picked it up and put some on. He took another look at his watch - 6:11 pm. All he could do now was put on his shoes, and he'd be all set to go. He knew it - he had started getting ready too early, and would now be in for about 49 minutes of nervous thoughts. He tried watching TV, he tried listening to music, he tried reading a book, but nothing could distract him - all he could think about was Ron, Hermione and the reunion. He really hoped they'd both be there, that way he could rekindle his friendship with Ron and rekindle his love with Hermione. Or at least, he hoped he could. That's what was making him nervous. What if Ron didn't wanna be friends? What if Hermione didn't wanna get back together, or even just be friends? Or even worse, what if one or both of them wasn't there? Harry could bear it if any of those things happened. But still, despite all his worries, he had to go. After all, this might be his only chance to see Ron and Hermione again... he had to take it. He took a third look at his watch - quarter to seven. Would it really be so bad if it he arrived at the reunion a little early? Surely others would, plus maybe then he wouldn't be alone with nothing to stop him from getting worried. He got his shoes on, and apparated to Hogsmeade.

* * *

****

**Hermione & Ron**  
  
As Hermione started to put on her dress, she looked at the clock in her room, and saw that it was just after 6 pm. In less than an hour, she would be back at Hogwarts for the reunion. When her dress was on, she took a look in the mirror.  
  
"You look beatiful dear," it said. "The violet colour really brings out your eyes." Hermione couldn't help but grin. She just hoped that somebody else thought along the same lines of the mirror. With the dress now on, she picked up her perfume and put some on. She then picked up the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion she had bought last week, and began to pile it on. With her hair, it would take a lot to make it look nice.  
  
20 minutes later, she was done. There was nothing left to do, unless... she didn't normally wear make-up, but this was a special occasion... maybe a little wouldn't hurt. After all, she had decided to buy some - she couldn't resist. She'd bought light pink lipstick, mascara and some blusher. She put it on, and took another look in the mirror. "Too much," she thought to herself. She got her make-up remover wipes and took some blusher off. Before she knew it, there was so little it couldn't be seen. After 10 minutes of fuss, she had the perfect amount on. She looked back to the clock, and saw it was twenty to seven. She picked up her purse, put on her shoes and headed downstairs to find some other Hogwarts students waiting in the lobby. They all looked really nice, which worried Hermione. Wouldn't she now just fit in with the crowd? If she did, how would Harry possibly notice her? To her reilef though, she didn't see anyone else wearing a violet dress. She looked around the lobby for anyone she knew hat she could talk to (including Harry), and saw  
  
"Ron!" she shouted, running towards him.  
  
"Hermione!" he replied, hugging her. "Wow, its been a long time. You look great."  
  
"Yeah, you too," she replied, trying to sound sincere. To tell the truth, he was just an older version of the geeky-looking Ron she remembered from school. But at least she knew she'd have a friend at the reunion now.  
  
"So have you seen Harry recently?" Ron asked hopefully. If she had, she could help the two of them become friends again.  
  
"No," she replied. There was an awkward silence until Ron asked 'So what do you do now anyway?', and they got talking. After a while, other people in the lobby started getting up and leaving. "We better go too," she said to Ron, and off they went.


	4. The Reunion

_Sorry about the delay for this chapter, I've had a busy week. I have an exam to revise for and coursework to do.  
  
This chapter is, as suggested by the title, the first chapter involving the actual reunion. It also skips between Harry and Ron & Hermione as they look for each other.  
  
Thanks to Greyhound Master, yumienuf2eat, JaZzIe PaDpRoNgS and Wettlewash for your reviews on Chapter Three._  
  
**On Thursday 20th May 2004, Philip O'Connor collapsed and died aged just 15. R.I.P. Phil, you will be missed but never forgotten.**

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**Harry  
**  
Harry found that when he arrived at Hogwarts, he was just five minutes early. There were other people there too, waiting outside. Apparently Dumbledore was to be punctual and have the reunion start promptly at 8. Unfortunately, none of the people waiting outside were people he knew well - there was not one Gryffindor there. He couldn't see Ron or Hermione around, and again he began to worry again over whether or not they would show up. He stood around, and as eight o'clock came the doors magically opened of their own accord and people headed inside. Harry took a look around and when he didn't see Ron or Hermione, he reluctantly stepped inside.

* * *

**Ron & Hermione  
**  
"Are you okay?" Ron asked Hermione anxiously as she tripped. She wasn't used to wearing high heels, but had worn them tonight in the hope her added inch or so of height would make her more noticeable.   
  
"I think so, but my ankle's a little sore," she replied. "Come on, let's go." Desperate to get to the reunion, she got back up and tried to walk on. However, she found herself limping.  
  
"You can't go like that. Look, there's a bench over there, we can sit there for a little bit until your ankle gets better." Ron wanted to get to the reunion just as much as Hermione, but she was his friend, and he couldn't let her limp there and make her ankle worse. He helped her over to the bench and sat with her as she rubbed her ankle.

* * *

**Harry**  
  
As people got into the Great Hall, they gasped in delight. It looked simply splendid, and brought back many memories from their schooldays. As this was a ball however, the house tables weren't there. There was a big table at the front of the hall with the food, and chairs at the sides. There were also the year-group pictures of all four houses on the walls.  
  
Despite all of this, Harry wasn't happy. He wanted to see Hermione and Ron, and to his frustration he couldn't. He did see his old Hogwarts roommate Dean Thomas though, with Lavender Brown. As he was about to make his way over, make conversation and then ask if they'd seen Ron or Hermione, Dumbledore stepped onto the stage. Everyone fell silent, and all eyes were upon the Hogwarts Headmaster.  
  
"Hello, and welcome back to Hogwarts. I'm delighted to see so many of you again, ten years on. It fills my heart with joy to see the successful heights some of you have reached." At that moment, Harry was sure Dumbledore's eyes flickered momentarily towards him. "Anyway, as you know, the ball will take place until 9 pm. Should any of you wish to leave before then, feel free to do so. However, lets not waste any more time. Lets do what we all came here to do - reunite! Playing tonight is the ever-popular legendary band, the Weird Sisters. Please join me in welcoming them back to Hogwarts 13 and a half years after they were last here." The Weird Sisters came onto the stage, still as hairy as Harry remembered them to be. Dumbledore stepped aside, and they began to play. People began to dance, and Harry took the opportunity to walk around the hall pretending to look for someone to dance with, but instead look for Ron or Hermione. But just moments after he'd started looking, Parvati Patil approached him.  
  
"Hey Harry, its good to see you! Would you like to dance?" She smiled up at him hopefully, and Harry didn't have the heart to turn her down. After all, he had treated her quite poorly when they'd gone to the Yule Ball in their fourth year at Hogwarts. This could be his apology to her. Slightly frustrated, he began to dance with her.

* * *

**Ron & Hermione  
**  
"How's your ankle now?" Ron asked impatiently, having just looked at his watch. It was twenty past eight.  
  
"Okay I think," said Hermione in response. It still hurt a little, though not as much as before. She felt really bad about making herself and Ron late. Also, it would now be even more difficult to find Harry now. She got up, and began to walk again. She could feel a bit of pain in her foot but she ignored it. As she and Ron got to Hogwarts and headed into the Great Hall, her heart sank. It was so packed, finding Harry would be Mission Impossible. Ron looked at her, having looked around the hall himself for Harry, and said politely, "Do you wanna dance?" Hermione agreed, thinking that at the end of this song she could say she wanted to get a drink and go and look for Harry. There was nothing wrong with dancing with Ron - in actual fact he was a pretty good dancer. But the only person she really wanted to dance with was Harry. As the song drew to a close, Hermione told Ron she was going to get a drink. As she turned away, she bumped into Parvati Patil.  
  
"Oops, sorry Parvati... Harry?!" There, just in front of her, apparently dancing with Parvati, was Harry. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"Its good to see you," he said, and gave her a friendly hug. Just then, Ron, who had been stood only a few feet away, also came over.  
  
"Harry!" he yelled delightedly. They shook hands, but then pulled each other into a hug.  
  
"Could you excuse me?" Harry asked Parvati. She agreed, and he went with Ron and Hermione into the corridor, where it was a little quieter. The three got talking, and it was just like being back in school. None of them wanted to cause any problems, so neither Ron nor Hermione mentioned their respective issues with Harry. He didn't do so either. Instead, whilst talking, he couldn't help but grin. He knew that he would have to talk to both Ron and Hermione in private and apologise about the fights they'd had, but now wasn't the time. Now was the time for them to re-establish their friendship.

* * *

_I think I'll leave it there for now... the trio are back together, and it seems like a nice little end before the problems arise between them._


	5. Problems Arise

_Things were looking pretty good for Harry, Ron and Hermione in the last chapter... almost two good. There's no such thing as a story that's 100% happy, so now comes the point where problems arise - pun intended.  
  
Thanks to Greyhound Master, yumienuf2eat and Wettlewash for the reviews. In fact, a big thank you to Wettlewash for adding my story to your favourites lists, that is a huge compliment to me._  
  
**I went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban this week, and its awesome. But they've changed the story loads! Grrr...**

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After a long talk in the corridor, Harry, Ron and Hermione went back into the Great Hall. Not long after, Anthony Goldstein came over and asked Hermione to dance. She accepted, leaving Harry and Ron alone. "This is my chance for an apology," thought Harry, and so he turned to Ron.  
  
"Hey, listen Ron, I'm really sorry I upset you when I joined the Tornados. But it was a big career opportunity, and I couldn't turn it down."  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it," Ron replied. "If you hadn't left, we wouldn't have had Paul Dawson in the team, and look what he did!" This had been intended as a joke, but the look on Harry's face told Ron that he hadn't found it funny. Worried, and not wanting to cause a fight so soon after they'd made up, he quickly changed the subject. "So, its great being back here isn't it Harry?"  
  
Meanwhile, Anthony was starting to annoy Hermione. At the end of each dance she tried to leave him, but he pulled her back for the next song. Like Ron, he was a pretty good dancer, but he wasn't Harry. That was who she needed to speak to. As the sixth song her and Anthony had danced to finished, Hermione tried to pull away again. Unsuccessful, she decided to pull out her wand.  
  
"Listen, you're very nice, but I don't wanna dance any more okay? Now let me go or I'll hex you." Startled, Anthony let her go. Hermione then headed back to where she'd seen Ron and Harry last. Oddly enough, they were still there, and seemed deep in conversation. She didn't want to disturb them, but her love for Harry pushed her into doing so. She walked over, and the moment Ron, who was speaking at the time, paused for breath, she said "Hey Ron. Harry, can we talk please? In private?"  
  
"Yeah okay," Harry said. He turned back to Ron and said "Sorry, I think this is important. I'll speak to you later, all right?" Ron didn't seem happy about Hermione taking Harry away when they'd been talking, but agreed and went off looking for someone to dance with. Hermione then took Harry out into the corridor, then outside. Harry began to apologise, but Hermione cut him off.  
  
"No, let me speak first. I was very hurt when you left me for a quidditch meeting, and as you know from the letter I sent you, that prompted me to move to Paris. However, I do regret telling you not to contact me. I did want you to get in touch, and I feel really bad about being so harsh on you."  
  
"You're not the only one feeling regretful," Harry assured her. "I regret leaving you for that meeting every single day." At this point, Hermione got tearful, and flung her arms around him. They hugged, at which point Harry realised that Hermione had Goosebumps on her arms. It was very cold. "Here, take my jacket," he told her, taking it off and handing it to her. She put it on and smiled at him, and they began talking about what they'd been up to in the eight and a half years since they'd last spoken.  
  
When they'd finished talking, they headed back inside. Harry turned to Hermione, and said, "You know, I'm really glad that we're friends again." A second later, he really wished he hadn't. Hermione went mad. She yelled at him so loudly he was surprised people didn't come out of the Great Hall to see what was going on.  
  
"FRIENDS AGAIN?! I THOUGHT, THAT AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, THAT WE WERE MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS. BUT CLEARLY I WAS WRONG... I MEAN, YOU'D RATHER PLAY QUIDDITCH THAN BE WITH ME WOULDN'T YOU?!" She took off his jacket, flung it at him and stormed back outside. He called after her, but she ignored him, and the moment she was out of the Hogwarts grounds she disapparated. Harry but his head in his hands, and he couldn't believe what he'd said. Of course they were more than friends. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he heard a familiar snigger behind him.  
  
"Poor Potter, upsetting the Mudblood. An international quidditch star, and he still can't pull, how pathetic." It was Draco Malfoy, Harry's worst enemy.  
  
"Get lost Draco," Harry told him, though not as politely as that.   
  
"Watch your mouth Potty. Anyway, I wanna stay here, I'm having a fun conversation with you." Harry wasn't in the mood to deal with Draco, so he quickly pulled out his wand and shouted "Petrificus Totalus!" and hit Draco with the Body-Bind Curse. Harry was cheered up slightly as Draco's arms and legs snapped together and he keeled over backwards. Harry then left him lying motionless in the corridor and went to find Ron.  
  
"There you are Harry, what did Hermione want?" asked Ron, when Harry finally found him. Ron didn't know Harry and Hermione had been going out all those years ago, but now was the time to tell him. Harry then talked about what had happened outside with Hermione.  
  
"I can't believe you kept all this secret," said Ron, looking hurt.  
  
"Look, Hermione's already mad at me, please not you too. I'm sorry, but she didn't want anyone to know... not even you. Can you please help me out here Ron, I don't know what to do."  
  
"I wish I could Harry, but I can't. If she disapparated, she could be anywhere." That was when it hit Harry that he had no idea where Hermione was. Tears began to emerge as Harry began to realise that he might never see Hermione again. This had been his chance, and he'd blown it.


	6. Chasing After Hermione

_Sorry about the delay with this chapter. With one thing and another, I haven't really had a chance to update sooner.  
  
This chapter is pretty short. It is about Harry trying to talk to Hermione. As there's two sides to the story, the same event will be seen from both points of view.  
  
Thanks to HHromancefreak, Greyhound Master, General K-Star, Wettlewash and Granger-gurl-rox for the reviews on Chapter 5. By the way Wettlewash, if you read chapter five again you'll notice Hermione disapparates when she's left the Hogwarts grounds. She goes on about not being able to apparate in Hogwarts far too often for me to forget that fact, lol.  
  
This chapter starts right after the last one ended.  
_  
**Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban is a fantastic game. It's a lot of fun, but is too easy - I completed it in six days! Still, buy it none the less.**

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**Harry (and Ron)**  
  
"Come on, quick," Harry told Ron anxiously. "She'll have to go to the Hogsmeade Hotel, she has to pay for the room and get her luggage." Ron wanted to stay at the reunion until it ended, but taking a look at the look on Harry's face changed his mind. He couldn't leave Harry alone at a time like this, especially if he couldn't find Hermione. Also, going with him would allow him to spend a little more time with his best friend. They ran out of the hall, so fast Ron almost tripped over Draco Malfoy, who was lying still and rigid on the floor.  
  
"What happened to him?" he asked.  
  
"The Body Bind Curse," Harry replied. "The little git deserved it."  
  
They continued running, back to the Hogsmeade Hotel. When there, Harry stopped to catch his breath. He then went to the counter to ask what room Hermione was staying in.  
  
"Room 217," Harry told Ron.  
  
"That's on the second floor, come on," Ron replied. They went to the second floor, and looked for Room 217. Harry zoomed down the corridor, check the number on each door.  
  
"211, 213, 215... here, 217." As he got to Hermione's room, and knocked hardly on the door. "Hermione?!" He shouted. "Hermione, are you there? Please open up, I need to talk to you." He got no answer, so he tried to apparate in the room.  
  
"You can't apparate or disapparate inside this hotel," Ron told him. Otherwise, people could leave without paying, or invade other people's privacy.  
  
"Damn," said Harry. He now had no idea how he was going to talk to Hermione. Resigned to defeat, he went back downstairs to book a room for the night. He and Ron then went to the hotel bar, and Harry had a lot to drink. Ignoring Ron's warnings that he would regret it in the morning, he drank a lot of alcohol. In fact, he drank so much his mind began to play tricks on him - he could've sworn he was Hermione in the hotel lobby. He ran towards her, but tripped on his way (being so drunk). When he got back up, Hermione had disappeared. He looked up the stairs and around the lobby, but there was no sign of her.  
  
At midnight when the bar closed, Harry staggered up to his room with the help of Ron. He lay back on his bed, but he couldn't sleep. Drunk as he was, he was deep in thought. All he could think about was Hermione, and how he could win her back. Why had he been so stupid and referred to Hermione only as his friend? He loved her... he loved her deeply.

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**Hermione**

As the Hogsmeade Hotel in Room 217, Hermione was crying on her bed. After her fight with Harry, she had apparated as close to the hotel as she could. She then went up to her room, got changed into her pyjamas and sobbed in her bed. She was still shocked at Harry saying she was just his friend. It obviously meant that he meant more to her than she did to him, which was a very upsetting thing. Maybe she shouldn't have lost her temper... but he had acted in the same manner that led to her moving to France all those years ago.  
  
Soon after, there was a knock on Hermione's door. She got up to answer it, but when she heard Harry's voice she got back into bed. She wasn't ready to talk to him... not yet anyway.  
  
After Harry gave up and left, Hermione began to feel guilty. She had ignored Harry when he had chased after her... what if he now gave up? She got out of her bed, changed into some normal clothes and headed downstairs. She was about to ask the woman at the counter what room Harry was in, when she looked across to the hotel bar. There he was, drinking with Ron. By the looks of things, he was drunk... great. "Well, I'm not going to waste my time talking to him when he's drunk," she thought to herself. She turned around and was heading back to her room when...  
  
"Hermione!" Harry had seen her. Worried, she did the first thing she could think of to hide herself from view - a Disillusionment Charm. She couldn't disapparate in the hotel, but she could camouflage herself. As she walked away, she looked back at Harry. He had tripped up, and when he got to his feet he couldn't see her, as he walked back to the bar. With a sigh of relief, Hermione took the charm off herself and went back to her room.  
  
Once back in bed, Hermione tried to get to sleep. But she couldn't. She was thinking about Harry, and what had happened tonight. One thought troubled her greatly - was it all over for them? She had no idea, but her hopes weren't high.

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_I promise I'll have a new chapter up soon, to make up for the delay with this one._


	7. The Best Christmas Present Ever

_Well, I broke my promise. Instead of updating quickly, I took longer than ever before. I'm really sorry guys, I've just been very busy. I've had loads of coursework to do for school, ready for the summer. Also, I've had a bad case of writer's block.  
  
School's out now, so I am pretty much problem free now. This story might be coming to an end, but I will have a lot of spare time in which to write more fan fics.  
  
Anyway, as suggested by the title, this chapter is set around Christmas time - some four and a half months after the last one. I can't say much more really without spoiling what happens.  
  
__Thanks to Wettlewash, Granger-gurl-rox and HermoineGirl03 for your reviews._

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**Hermione**  
  
It was the last day of term at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Hermione was eating breakfast in her room. She had just about finished when Luc Cygan, the Herbology Teacher and a friend of hers, walked in.  
  
"Good morning Hermione... why aren't you eating breakfast in the Dining Hall with all the other teachers?" he asked.  
  
"Well, because..." She started.  
  
"It's not because of Marcel, is it?" Hermione tried to deny it, but she couldn't. When she'd returned to Beauxbatons in September after the summer, she was still depressed about Harry. Marcel, the Transfiguration teacher, had asked her out. She'd said yes, even though she didn't really fancy him. Then last week when he thought things were getting serious, she had confessed the truth to him. Whilst he appeared to take it well, Hermione knew it had been hard for him. Now she had been avoiding him, by staying out of the Hall where the teachers met at meal times and instead eating in her room.  
  
"I just... I just can't be around him right now," she admitted. "Maybe after the holidays, but I need to be away from him. In fact, I need to be away from here. I'm leaving tonight, I'm going to spend Christmas at my parents house.  
  
"Okay. Well, I've gotta go, I have a class in five minutes. In case I don't see you, have a good Christmas." He gave her a hug, then left. Hermione finished her breakfast, then headed down to her classroom. She also had a class.

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**Harry**  
  
With Christmas approaching, Harry knew it was the last day of the school term. Still pining for Hermione, he wanted to go to Beauxbatons School in France and speak to her. He had sent numerous letters since August, but they had been sent back unopened. Refusing to give up, he was now going to try speaking to her in person. The only problem was, he didn't know where Beauxbatons was. He did however, know someone who would know the school's whereabouts - Dumbledore. So, having sent an owl to Dumbledore, they had arranged to meet up at Hogwarts that afternoon and they were to be taken by the school thestrals. Dumbledore needed to see the Beauxbatons Headteacher anyway about an upcoming Triwizard Tournament.  
  
As Harry arrived at Hogwarts, he headed straight to Dumbledore's office. Having been there many times before at school, he knew the way. He also knew this year's password (pear drop). Still, all these years on, and Dumbledore had his passwords as a different sweet every year. When he got to the gargoyle, he said the password and entered. Inside, he saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," he said, smiling.  
  
"Harry, please sit down," Dumbledore responded, smiling back. "I have to speak to your former Head of House, Minerva, about her looking after the students whilst I am gone. However first, I'd like to talk to you. As I am no longer your Headmaster, I am advising you as a friend - I'd like to hope I have earned that place in your life.  
  
"Of course you have, you're like family to me," Harry replied.  
  
"Thank you, I'm flattered. But getting back to my advice. Harry, I have noticed since you left school that you have changed a lot. When you defeated Voldemort, you almost died to save your friends. But then, you chose Quidditch over friendship when you signed for the Tornados, and I would never have expected that from you. It almost cost you your friends. I sincerely hope that when you see Hermione tomorrow that you make things up, but whatever happens I think you should begin to value friendship highly again. Quidditch is great, but there is nothing more valuable than friendship - it is priceless. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and find Minerva. You are welcome to join me if you wish, but if you would rather stay here I shouldn't be more than half an hour." Dumbledore then left, leaving Harry with a lot to think about.

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**Hermione**  
  
Back at Beauxbatons, school was over for Christmas. Hermione was now getting everything packed, ready to go to her parents house. She hadn't stayed there since the week before the Hogwarts Reunion, and although she'd been in touch she had never told them what happened with Harry. Quite frankly, she didn't want to. She was worried that they would think she was silly for storming off on him when he wanted to be friends. After all, she did herself. That was the whole reason that she had not been in touch with him, because she was scared of what he might think. What if he didn't even want to be friends now?  
  
Suitcase packed, Hermione was on her way out of the school when she ran into Madame Gaul.  
  
"Are you going now Hermione?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Hermione replied.   
  
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a while? Dumbledore is on his way here, and I'm sure he'd like to see one of his former pupils."  
  
"Oh well, alright." Hermione decided it would be nice to see Dumbledore. After all, she hadn't really got a chance to speak to him at the Reunion. So, she went with Madame Gaul, though neither of them knew that Dumbledore was not travelling alone.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Dumbledore arrived at Beauxbatons. Hermione was walking over to him with Madame Gaul when she stopped, startled. Next to him was...  
  
"Harry? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to see you," he replied, smiling at her. "Erm, do you want to go for a little walk?"  
  
"Sure," she responded. Hopefully now, everything would be okay. And so off they went, leaving Dumbledore and Madame Gaul. Hermione started to apologise for how she'd acted at the reunion, when Harry stopped her.  
  
"No Hermione, I'm sorry. I made you think that I only wanted to be your friend, and that isn't true. I love you, and I want to be with you. But also, I'm sorry about choosing Quidditch over you. I've realised now that Quidditch isn't important. You are... and so is Ron. If you want to stay here and teach at Beauxbatons, then I will join the Quiberon Quafflepunchers here in France, so we can be together. Who I'm playing Quidditch for, or even if I'm playing Quidditch, doesn't mean a thing to me. You, on the other hand, do."  
  
Hermione was speechless. She kissed Harry, and then they hugged. They hugged for a long time. And as they did, Hermione couldn't help but think to herself, "This is the best Christmas present ever."

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_I don't know whether or not to finish the story here. I have an idea for one more chapter, but I think I could end things here as well. After all, this would be a nice conclusion to the story. Please review, and give me your opinion. Then I will make a decision as to whether or not I should add that extra chapter._


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